Her Worst Nightmare
by StrongerThanThat
Summary: What if Castiel had gone back in time to save Mary and John alone? Unable to stop Anna, Castiel panics and unconsciously sends the Winchesters to a location he perceives safe. Unfortunately, the only place the angel considers safe at the moment is in the present, close to Sam and Dean. Mary comes face to face with her worst nightmare.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

* * *

John has never been a believer.

He was the type of person who had to see to believe, and it wasn't like he had ever encountered a supernatural being before. Evidence on this particular topic was at best tenuous, so until there was solid, concrete proof, John doesn't feel too inclined to change his mind.

His lack of belief has never been an issue either. Mary, the understanding woman that she is, was completely fine with it. John would never admit how relieved he felt when Mary dismissed it, smacked his head, and proclaimed him an idiot for being so nervous about admitting it.

His beautiful wife wasn't very religious. But still, Mary prays, and John respects her right to do so. In turn for her consideration, he often plays along when she starts talking about angels. Of course, most of the time, Mary does so figuratively. Truthfully, the man finds it to be rather endearing, but then again, John finds everything Mary does endearing.

At times he thinks that if anyone deserves an angel, it would be sweet, caring, beautiful Mary.

So, John Winchester doesn't believe in the supernatural. It would have been nice of fate to let him think that way.

Unfortunately, fate was a cruel, cold-hearted bitch.

* * *

It's funny how quickly a person's view of the world can shatter.

"Mr. Woodson?" John asked, eyes shifting around the dark garage. "You still here?" His gaze ended on an unconscious body lying face down beside a glossy, red car. John briefly wondered if the man had a stroke. He turned on the lights swiftly, and made his way over to the man. Gingerly, he turned the body over and recoiled slightly as he noticed the man's eyes. Fresh blood flowed down the man's face in streams, and Mr. Woodson's eyeballs looked like they had been burned out.

Just what the hell had happened here? He let go of the corpse, and retreated. He needed to inform the police. John turned, and was surprised to find himself face to face with a red haired woman. She was young and pretty, but her stern eyes told him to be wary. However, before he could do anything, the girl pushed him forcefully, throwing him into a shelf. He collided with the wooden shelf painfully, knocking the furniture over.

John scrambled onto his feet, trying to ignore the pain in his side. He looked at the woman bewilderedly. Who was she? Barely ninety pounds and she had just sent him flying into a shelf effortlessly. Scratch that, what was she?

The red headed girl advanced towards him. John thought she seemed a little out of it; a deduction that was confirmed once he saw her nose bleeding. She blinked a few times, attempting to regain her composure. John took this advantage to hit her with a metal pipe. The impact knocked the woman onto the hard ground. A little guilty, he turned to leave, but she was there again. This time, she shoved him into a car. He rolled over the roof of the vehicle, and landed nosily on the floor.

John felt his vision blur. Shaking his head, he moved into a sitting position, inhaling deeply. John glanced up and saw her observing him. He closed his eyes for half a second, and when he opened them, she was standing before him. The woman wrapped her slim fingers around his neck and forced him against the wall behind him. John struggled in her strong grip, and for a moment, he could see remorse flash in her hazel irises.

"I'm sorry," the woman said apologetically before her eyes became cold again.

He choked. She had cut off his oxygen supply and his lungs were starting to feel the strain. Was he seriously going to die here? His question was answered by a man who appeared behind her instantaneously. The trench coat wearing man was carrying a weird looking weapon. But nevertheless, it was a knife. The woman appeared to sense him as she released her hold on him, spinning around to stop the sharp blade from plunging into her.

"Castiel," the woman greeted, clutching the knife with her right palm. Blood trickled down her arm, but the girl remained indifferent.

"Anna." The man, who had the bluest eyes John has ever seen, said. "Stop this, please. I don't want to kill you." The woman's eyes softened.

"Neither do I," She replied, letting go of the knife. "But this is the only solution." The woman, Anna, said as she vanished and reappeared behind him. She tossed him into the windshield of an old, black ford. The knife flew out of the man's hands. "Leave, Castiel. You know you can't win. Your powers are depleting as we speak."

The man stood up weakly, but faltered. He supported himself by leaning against the nearby wall. Meanwhile, John had recovered, and was currently gaining on the girl. He picked up the metal object again and stabbed the woman's back. It cut through Anna's petite body, and John cautiously moved a few steps back. The red haired woman turned to face him, blood dripping from her small mouth.

John watched in disbelief as the woman pulled out the metal pipe nonchalantly.

"Sorry, it's not that easy to kill me."

"He doesn't have to," a gruff voice said. Both of them turned to see the man from before. Behind him, a bizarre symbol had been drawn on the wall in red. A second glance told John that that was blood. The blue eyed man pressed his bloody palm to the drawing.

John covered his eyes as bright light illuminated the room. When he opened them, the two strangers were gone.

* * *

The harsh sound of sirens pierced the night. Police officers were bustling around the bloodied scene in a hurry, setting up perimeters and dissembling crowds of nosy neighbors. For what seemed like the tenth time, John told the fussy paramedics he was fine. His side barely hurt anymore. He was a marine for God's sake! All he wanted to do was to go home.

It took another hour or so before the detectives let him leave.

As John walked home, he wondered if he had been hallucinating. But the man knew what he saw. And that was two strangers, a red haired woman and a trench coat wearing man. Both of them displayed inhuman abilities. Incredible strength, the ability to teleport and what seemed like immortality. After all, he had practically impaled the woman, but she escaped unscathed. John tried to wrap his head around this. What had they been? Demons?

He felt terribly out of place. Just yesterday he lived in a world where he had been comfortable in, but now, he didn't know what to think. Apparently, there were evil, seemingly invincible things out there. John could take on just about any human and win, but against these monsters? He didn't stand a chance. What if they came after him again? He didn't know what the woman had against him, but it was clear she wanted him buried six feet under. Would she go after Mary too?

If that was so, John needed to find a way to kill these things. He had to protect Mary. John wasn't useless. As long as they were alive, they had to have a weakness. He just had to find it.

John felt the beginnings of a migraine. When did his life become so complicated? The worst part was, he knew he couldn't tell anyone. He certainly didn't tell the police. He would be in a mental institute by now if he did. Frustrated, John quickened his pace. Whatever it was, he could worry about it tomorrow. For now, he just wanted to be home with Mary.

"John." John flinched as the trench coat wearing man appeared in front of him. He tensed. The man, Castiel, had not meant him harm, but he couldn't be too sure. Damn it! He should start carrying a weapon wherever he went.

"Who are you?" John demanded, annoyed and angry. "What are you?" The blue eyed man blinked impassively.

"I'm Castiel. I am an angel of the lord."

* * *

Cassie: I hope you enjoyed it.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

* * *

"I'm Castiel. I am an angel of the lord."

John scoffed and narrowed his eyes. He scrutinized the blue eyed man warily. Castiel sure looked as if he had better days. The man's hair was disheveled, and the dark circles beneath his eyes contrasted greatly with his sickly pallor. The trench coat wearing man looked as if he hadn't slept for nights. If not for Castiel's clothes, John might have thought the man was homeless. And this was the man claiming to be an angel?

"Really? What do you take me for? A fool?" John retorted, backing up a few steps. "If you don't want to tell me, fine! But trust me, if you come after me again, I will find out what you are and how to kill you. And when that time comes, don't expect me to show you any mercy."

Castiel remained silent for a second, seemingly confused.

"I would have thought it was obvious that I was trying to save you," the self-proclaimed angel stated, head tilting to one side. Seeing John's skeptical expression, Castiel added, "I am not here to hurt you."

John bristled at the man's patronizing tone. Castiel had enunciated every word, speaking in a manner that an adult would to a child.

"You know what? I don't really care. Just what the hell do you want from me?" For the life of him, John couldn't figure out how he managed to offend these creatures.

"You-" Castiel opened his mouth to say something but stopped, thinking better of it. "It's… complicated," the man said, testing the foreign word on his tongue. John felt his anger spike. But before he had the chance to snap back, Castiel continued, grimacing. "Time is running out. We have to leave. Your wife is in danger."

"What-" John exclaimed as the blue eyed man placed two fingers on his forehead. He didn't get to finish his sentence.

Both men disappeared without a trace.

* * *

The next thing John knew, they were both in his living room. Briefly, the man could hear the soft ruffling of feathers; something he would later blame on his disorientation. After all, there was no such thing as angels, right? Funny how yesterday John would have said the same thing about monsters.

How could this be possible? They had been at least a five minute walk away from here only seconds ago. There wasn't even anything to indicate that they had moved. He was still rooted to the ground in the exact same position. It's as if the world shifted around them.

Beside him, Castiel swayed unsteadily. That was a testament to how bad the man's condition was.

"How did you do that?" John demanded, and instinctively caught the man before he toppled over.

"T-That is not important. I need to transport you and your wife to a safe place. Currently, I'm not strong enough to take on Anna," Castiel said, breathing unevenly. It took him awhile to regain his composure, putting a hand on John's shoulder for support.

"John? Is that you?" Mary's voice echoed through the house, drawing their attention. Soon, a petite figure appeared at the entrance to the kitchen. "Oh! John didn't tell me he was bringing a guest," the pretty, blonde woman said as she approached them.

"He didn't know I was coming," Castiel replied without hesitation. For a moment there, John didn't know what to say.

"It's alright. Friends of John are always welcomed here," Mary assured, smiling though her eyes narrowed subtly in suspicion. She might have sworn off hunting for good, but her hunter's mentality remained. After all, she had been raised in the life, and the stranger who stood rigidly beside her husband gave off a weird vibe. The intensity she saw in those piercing blue eyes made her uneasy.

It took her less than a few seconds to realize she was right. Her grin disappeared as she noticed the fresh blood on the blue eyed man's right palm. Her horror increased when she saw the slight bulge in his sleeve, invisible to people who didn't know what they were looking for, but not her. She knew for certain what that was. A knife.

Now Mary had two choices. Play along and corner the creature later, putting her husband at risk, or get John away from it immediately, blowing her cover. The decision was easy to make.

"John, step away from him," Mary said, trying to rein in her fear.

"What?" The urgency in her voice snapped John out of his shock-induced haze. He stared at his panicking wife, and knew at once that he was missing something vital.

"Listen to me. He's not who you think he is." Mary retreated a few steps, scanning the room for a weapon. "H-He's not human," she admitted, her voice wavering. She backed into a table and glanced behind swiftly. There was a fruit knife she left next to the bowl of apples she had sliced earlier. It wasn't silver but it could work. There was no guarantee that it was a demon.

"How?" John found himself surprised for the third time that night. How could Mary possibly have known?

"I am not a demon, Mary," Castiel said, sensing her distress.

"Why are you here?" Mary ignored him and inquired, anger brewing behind her calm façade. They just couldn't leave her alone, could they? Her past just had to come back and haunt her. It wasn't fair; all she wanted was to have a normal life with John. Why couldn't she have that? Her right hand sneaked towards the weapon and grasped the handle of the fruit knife. It didn't matter if he wasn't a demon, he could still be something dangerous, like a skin walker.

"I am here to help. There is an angel trying to kill the both of you," the stranger explained and Mary almost laughed. Angels? Did the thing honestly expect her to believe that?

"We don't need your help. The only thing you can do for us is leave."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," the trench coat wearing man said, not faltering in the slightest.

"Then you leave me with no choice." Mary moved quickly. She might not have done this for awhile but hunting was like riding a bicycle. You never really forget. However, before the knife could sink into the stranger, the man halted her attack by gripping her wrist firmly. He snatched the sharp object out of her hand indifferently, flinging across the room.

"I'm sorry, but we need to get out of here immediately."

"Now Castiel, I think it's a little too late for that." A soft, feminine voice joined in their strained conversation.

Instantaneously, three head snapped towards the young woman who materialized in the room. Mary's eyes widened at the red headed woman. She had to be a demon; only spawns of the devil could show up wherever they pleased.

"Mary. John. Get behind me now!" Castiel bellowed, and for the first time since the blue eyed man appeared in his life, John believed what the man had tried to convince him he was. The commanding presence of the man overwhelmed him, and any doubt he had about Castiel being an angel vanished.

Even Mary found herself unconsciously obeying the order, inching closer to the man she now knew as 'Castiel'. So the man hadn't been lying. There was something after her and her husband. Her hands flew towards her stomach, dread encompassing her being. She couldn't risk fighting now, there was too much at stake. Her hands tightened into fists at her side.

"Why do you even try? I have always been more powerful than you, Castiel," Anna stated simply, and with a flick of her hand, sent Castiel crashing into the windows. The dark haired man collapsed onto the lawn outside, accompanied by shards of shattered glass.

"I don't understand. Why are you doing this?" Mary questioned, warm tears burning in her eyes. "I-It's not ten years yet." She had believed a demon deal to be absolute.

The woman just stared at her sympathetically, fuelling Mary's anger. What right did the woman have to pity her, if she was the one who was going to drag her to hell?

"I'm not here to fulfill the contract you made with Azael," the striking woman said, appearing in front of her. "I apologize, but this is something I must do," she said regretfully, knife in hand.

Mary barely dodged it. John was by her side in a flash.

"Get away from her!" John shouted as he fought for the knife. Anna recoiled in shock as the man managed to get a punch in. In an outburst of strength, the woman threw John brutally into a wall, clutching her dislocated jaw. Mary rushed to her husband, kneeling over his fallen figure.

"John. John! Are you okay?" Mary cried, her worry and desperation evident. John didn't answer at first. His head was spinning and his vision was blinded by spots of bright light. But with his wife's concerned voice ringing in his skull, John knew he had to get up. He blinked furiously, attempting to clear his vision. It worked to a certain extend.

"Mary, I-I'm fine," John declared, trying to sit up. "Look out!" The man yelled as Anna reappeared behind Mary. Fortunately, before the knife hit, Castiel materialized too, blocking the woman's attack with an identical weapon. The blue eyed man was bleeding profusely; a huge piece of glass seemed to have lodged itself into his abdomen.

The two exchanged blows, but it soon became clear who had the upper hand.

"Don't make me do this, Castiel," Anna pleaded, and Castiel saw an opportunity in her reluctance to kill him. His knife pierced her side, causing her to hiss in pain. Guilt plagued Castiel, but nevertheless, he sent her to the ground with a strong hit. Anna remained conscious, but was at the moment, too weak to stand. Castiel promptly vomited a mouthful of blood, which he quickly wiped away with his hand. His sight was blurring as he turned to face Mary and John.

"Let's go." The angel's only thought was to get them out of here before Anna could recover. But with his thought process disrupted by his blood loss, Castiel couldn't think of a place. As he put two fingers on each of their foreheads, he transported them to the safest location he could think of.

By the time Anna regained her breath, the three of them were gone.

* * *

Cassie: I hope this wasn't too bad. Please leave constructive criticism.


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